Winter Delays
by Scarpaw
Summary: Sometimes, just sometimes, something interesting occurred when you were waiting on a delayed flight.


This was a prompt I did on Tumblr from a while ago, that I got around to posting here. It's technically a crossover between TMI and TID, but I'm just keeping it in the main section for TMI.

**Disclaimer: I do not own The Mortal Instruments or The Infernal Devices**

_**Winter Delays**_

_Sometimes, just sometimes, something interesting occurred when you were waiting on a delayed flight._

"Is this the right terminal?"

"I think so, it said…"

Magnus Bane did not care much for airports. He also did not care much for picking people up at said airports. Still, he had promised Jem and Tessa that he would come along to pick up Will, and he had also told Will that he'd be there when Will got off the plane. Magnus wasn't willing to admit it, but he had missed Will, annoying as he was.

There was also the fact that he missed hitting on Will, even though Will was already committed to a rather scandalous (and admittedly hilarious) threesome with Jem and Tessa.

That being said, they were stuck in the airport, waiting on a plane from London that had been delayed due to weather. None of them were very happy campers about the wait, but Tessa seemed to be taking it the best. Jem kept casting worried looks at the snow outside the airport, as if it might leap out and bite him. He was probably worried about driving home in the mess, even though Magnus had no doubt that the airport would remain open until the roads were clear for anyone who needed to stay.

"Oh, wait!" Tessa's voice cut through Magnus' thoughts and Jem's nervous babble like it was a hot knife through butter. "I think that's his flight group right now." She stood on her tiptoes, and Magnus followed her gaze to the group that had just come from baggage.

Following her sight, Magnus saw what Tessa saw– that was, the ridiculously tall figure with a black mop of hair identical to Will's, along with the sapphire blues when his eyes darted over in their direction. Will obviously didn't see them, as he didn't head for them right away.

"Will!" Tessa shouted, waving her hand, but her voice was lost in the cacophonous crowd. She wasn't quite tall enough to be seen over the other people in the terminal.

Will had his back to them, looking to the other side of the terminal. It was at the moment that Magnus had a brilliant, scandalously embarrassing, idea, in which he did not hesitate putting into motion. If Will would not come to them, Magnus would simply bring the party to him.

In the most _embarrassing_ way possible.

He broke off into a run towards Will, unheeding of Jem and Tessa's shouts behind him.

Magnus was at full tilt by the time he got close to Will, and there was no chance he was stopping now; he slammed into Will at full speed, and got straight to jabbering a mile a minute.

"Oh Will, my darling, my _roast duck_," Magnus said, improving his way through- it might have been better to have a solid plan on what he was going to say before he caught Will, but it was a little late now. Magnus settled for holding him close in an iron-grip hug, all but forcing the other man's head into the crook of his neck. "It's been too long! The days have been cold, and the nights have been more so. Please say you'll never leave me again. No–" Magnus dropped to his knees and grabbed Will's hand. "Say you'll leave that unholy trinity of yours and elope with me. I promise, I will treat you better than either of those you insist on spending your time with. Be my everything, darling."

For a moment, there was silence. Then it was broken by a high tinkling laugh that quickly turned into snorts.

"Wow Alec, not even five minutes off the plane from Paris and you've already been _proposed_ to!"

Alec? Paris?

Magnus quickly looked up, and saw a black haired girl in heels keeled over in laughter, crouched so low to the ground her nose was practically touching it as she poorly muffled her laughter. Looking up at the man whose hand he had grabbed, it became transparently evident that this man was not Will.

While from a distance, it would appear that this man was Will– the same ink black hair, same gorgeous blue eyes –there were a thousand and one reasons as to why this man (Alec, had it been? It seemed a lovely name…) was not Will. Most evident was the brick red color to his face, followed by the ratty sweater and jeans he was wearing. Embarrassment was not an easy thing to submit Will to, and Will also would never be caught dead in what this Alec was wearing.

Well then.

Judging by the girl's reaction (a sister? Girlfriend? Magnus sincerely hoped it wasn't a girlfriend) Magnus had made a grand fool of himself. He could also hear the clicking steps that signaled Jem and Tessa coming up on him. Still, there was hope of salvaging this.

_Especially_ if this delightful young man was single. Magnus had always loved black hair and blue eyes…

* * *

Alec had never been more embarrassed in his life.

It wasn't bad enough that he had thrown up during landing because of turbulence, no. No, the minute he had gotten out of baggage, he had to be, to be, _accosted_, by some stranger! Now everyone in the terminal was staring at them– at _him_ –because some guy had the audacity to, to _propose_ to Alec in the middle of everything.

Alec was sincerely glad his father hadn't come to pick him up from the airport, otherwise this would have not only been extremely difficult to explain, but would have also promptly landed him no place to go for the holiday. And Isabelle, the traitor, was not helping anything.

"I am so sorry," The man jumped to his feet, but the gleam in his gorgeous gold-green eyes spoke a different story. Not that Alec thought his eyes were gorgeous. "I mistook you for a friend of mine. Really, the resemblance is uncanny." He was grinning, a mischievous smile on his face that made Alec's stomach do uncomfortable flips. The man was also still holding his hand, and Alec wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"However," The man continued, and Alec felt his chest grow tight with how the man spoke, like he couldn't get enough oxygen even though there was plenty around. "You are undeniably _far_ more gorgeous than he." He kissed the back of Alec's hand like this was one of Izzy's terrible rom-coms, and Alec couldn't take it. Unable to breathe, Alec ripped his hand from the stranger's grasp, pushed past his sister, and booked it for the nearest men's room, his carry-on thumping against his back.

* * *

Magnus was a handful. This was something one became accustomed to after being friends for a long time. You got used to his odd quirks, habits, and how he liked to knock on your window at three in the morning completely drunk out of his mind propositioning an orgy.

Between Magnus and Will, Jem was an absolute pro at damage control.

Having given Alec five minutes to calm down on his own, Jem had left Magnus under Tessa's watch, along with Alec's sister Isabelle. She was the one who had helpfully supplied them with Alec's name, and explained the most likely reason for Alec's panic, and where he had probably ran off to.

The men's room, for the most part, seemed empty, but Jem could hear the forced-slow breathing that signaled someone's presence. It was at the very back stall, and Jem made his way slowly and deliberately down, making sure to make his footsteps loud enough to alert his presence.

"Alec?" Jem asked, just to make sure. It was possible that Alec had already slipped out of the bathroom to a different venue, but it never hurt to check.

The stall door opened slowly, revealing the black hair and blue eyes that were so easily mistakable for Will's. Alec's eyes were rimmed with red, but Jem chose not to focus on that. The other man looked at Jem with suspicion, like he didn't trust his intentions. Jem didn't blame Alec for the mistrust.

"James Carstairs," Jem greeted amicably, holding out his hand when Alec brought himself fully out of the stall. "You can call me Jem; everyone else does."

"Alec Lightwood, but you obviously already knew that." Alec still had that wary look in his eye. "I don't mean to sound rude, but what do you want?"

"Right," Jem jumped right to the point, getting the idea that Alec didn't care for beating around the bush. "I'm a friend of Magnus– the, ah, guy from before –and I'd like to apologize for his behavior. He didn't mean to cause you any undue distress. Magnus just comes off a tad strong."

"I noticed," There was red coating Alec's face again, and this time Jem thought it wasn't because of embarrassment. "Is he, ah…" He gestured with his hand, not looking at Jem.

"Gay?" Jem finished, wondering if that was what Alec was trying to ask. "More of a bisexual, I think."

"No, not that," Alec shook his head, still not looking at Jem. "Is he… ah, dating, um…"

Jem got the gist of what Alec was trying to ask this time.

"Magnus, dating Will?" Jem asked to clarify, and Alec nodded, as if he were ashamed. He couldn't help it; he laughed.

"Regardless of Will being Magnus' type," Jem continued hurriedly, so Alec wouldn't get the wrong impression, "Will is dating Tessa." And Jem, and Jem was dating Tessa, but he didn't feel it was prudent to go into those details. Alec visibly relaxed at that, like the knowledge was a relief. It was interesting.

"Oh." Alec said, and relief colored his voice. "Um, sorry about that. I didn't mean to," He gestured again, searching for a word. Jem felt as if Alec did that a lot. "To, you know, overreact."

"I don't think you overreacted." Jem assured Alec, "But I also don't think you should be apologizing to me, either."

"Right," Alec agreed, but didn't make a move to leave.

"He should still be out with your sister." Jem offered.

"Okay–" Alec started before stopping, paling, "Wait, you left him with _my sister?_"

He didn't give Jem a chance to answer before he was racing out of the bathroom, leaving Jem behind, baffled.

* * *

Isabelle was not one to be left with potential date prospects. Isabelle was not one who should pick Alec's dates. Isabelle was not one to be left with potential date prospects that she thought Alec should date.

Not that Alec was looking at Magnus like he was a potential date prospect, that was. He was not interested in Magnus at all. Not one bit. Which did not explain why, exactly, he was barreling out of the bathroom like hell was on his heels to mediate anything that was occurring between Isabelle and Magnus.

Alec skidded to a halt before he could hit a group of school kids, searching frantically. He couldn't see Izzy anywhere, or Magnus. Isabelle specifically. Because Alec wasn't looking for Magnus. Just his sister. Definitely not Magnus.

"Oh, there you are!" Isabelle came out of nowhere, and latched onto his arm like a second skin. There was something off-putting about the cheeriness in her voice. It was all suspicious, and he clung to it immediately like a lifeline.

"What did you do?"

"What makes you think I did anything?" Izzy defended immediately, faux hurt in her voice.

"_Izzy_." She huffed, upset that her fun had been ruined.

"Relax!" She said sourly, "Nothing _bad._"

"_Isabelle._" Alec repeated, thoroughly done with his sister's evasiveness.

"Nothing bad!" She echoed her prior words, raising her hands. "Just gave him your phone number, sheesh. Thought I might patch things up with the hot guy you were so _obviously_ into."

"Isabelle!" Alec was mortified. "Isabelle, how dare you!"

"What, did you want his number instead?" She asked, tone returning to the teasing delight it had been before. "Because if you do, I'm sure he's still here _somewhe–_ ah!" She yelped as Alec lunged for her.

Alec was going to murder his sister.

_Murder _her.

* * *

_Is this Magnus?_

_And here I thought I was going to have to text you first, sweetcheeks._

…_I don't want to know. I was wondering if you wanted to go on a… Date? With me?_

_A date? With you? My, I don't know Alexander._

_Oh. Okay. Sorry for bothering you._

_I was teasing, Alec. I'll see you Friday night at 7?_

_Oh. Oh, okay! I'll see you Friday!_


End file.
